Walking Dead Syndrome
by okiesmokes
Summary: Sasuke has a mental disease rendering him incapable of gripping reality; he believes he is dead. His brother, Itachi, hires Naruto to watch him while he's at work, but warns him not to communicate with him under any circumstances. AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.  
><strong>Warnings for this chapter<strong>: Mild language.  
><strong>Important:<strong> This isn't a vampire/zombie fic. It involves Cotard's syndrome and things along those lines.  
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Naruto sat in the middle of the living room, absentmindedly chewing on the end of a red marker as he flipped through the Sunday newspaper. It was the beginning of summer and for the first time in his life; he wouldn't be spending it among friends. His mother, Kushina, decided it was time for him to start working during summer break in order to gain some sense of responsibility. He, of course, argued with her saying that he had enough responsibility during school, what with doing homework and keeping up with project assignments. Kushina quickly rebutted, reminding him that he never did his homework or turned in projects on the correct date. That ended that argument.

So here he was, skimming through the job ads, trying to find something acceptable to circle. So far, he was getting nowhere fast. Maybe if he just acted like he was sincerely looking for a job, he could keep pushing it off, and milk it till the break was over. Then his mom couldn't argue with him about it, because for all she knew, he'd tried.

The blond's mood changed dramatically at the thought of his plan following through, as he sprawled out onto his stomach.

Not having anything better to do, he soon began doodling random patterns on the edges of the paper. There wasn't a point in pretending to look for a job while there was no one around to witness it. Seeing as he no longer planned on getting one.

"Anything yet?" Kushina walked into the room and smiled down at her son, hoping for a hint of good news.

"Eh no, not really. Sorry mom. It's not looking good so far." Putting on his best look of disappointment, he turned towards her. He was a damn good actor, if he did say so himself.

"Oh, well that's okay. You can always look online. And if that doesn't work, you can drive to all the local shops and apply anyway. I'll even go with you. It'll all work out, Honey."

Naruto laid his head back onto the white carpet, resisting the urge to groan. Instead he mumbled a quick "Of course it will."

"What was that?"

"I said that's okay. I can go by myself." He smiled as she agreed and left the room. He'd completely forgotten about all the other alternatives to finding a job. Oh well, he would simply have to work even harder at faking it.

Most people would come to the realization that going through all that trouble would be just as hard, if not harder, than actually getting a job and going to work. Naruto wasn't like most people. He was stubborn. Once his mind was set on something, there was no changing it.

As he continued doodling, he heard the front door opening then closing and the familiar sounds of his father greeting his mother.

The blond wasn't really paying attention to what they were saying until he heard his name. He quickly perked up and tried to hear the rest of their conversation as to determine why he was involved in it. Not a minute later, he was greeted by the presence of his father, Minato.

Sitting up, he analyzed the man's face; he seemed pleased with himself. This meant either really good news or really bad news, for Naruto. He guessed the latter of the two.

Just as he was about to question his parents earlier conversation, Minato spoke up. "As you know, I was taking interviews today for a new assistant. Well, I found one. A man half my age, named Itachi, with credentials exceeding most of my current employees. Well, we got to talking and it turns out that he has a younger brother that needs taking care of while he's at work. I suggested a few local daycare centers but he quickly turned them down, saying that his brother wouldn't be accepted in such a place. He didn't go in depth about it."

Naruto continued to stare blankly at his father, wondering why on earth he was telling him all of this. He certainly didn't expect him to babysit, did he?

"Since you need a job, I offered to have you watch him." Well, that answered that. "If you get the job then you'll stay at his home every week day, until he gets home from work. He's expecting you after dinner, for an interview. So hurry up go take a quick shower."

Minato handed him a slip of paper with an address on it. "And don't even think about trying to make a bad impression in order to get out of this. I already warned him that you might try something like that." Giving his son a sympathetic look, he added "I know you want to go hang out with your friends, but your mother's already made up her mind. And this will probably be a lot easier than any other job you could possibly get around here."

Naruto just looked at the small piece of paper and sighed. Not bothering to try and come up with an argument to get out of it. His father had a point; once his mom had made up her mind about something; there was no stopping her or finding a way around it.

If only Minato and Kushina knew what they'd just gotten their son into.

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Naruto read over the address for the sixteenth time before looking back up and squinting at all the road signs. He couldn't, for the life of him, find _any_ of the roads he was looking for. He was already fifteen minutes late and had circled the entire town at least three times. Granted, it was a very small neighborhood, but still. That should just make the place easier to find, not harder. As soon as he received his first paycheck, he was going to invest in a GPS system, for sure.

Just as he was about to call it quits and go back home, he noticed a small dirt road leading into the woods. If he wasn't already going at a snail's pace, he would have never seen it. The road lacked a sign, but it was the only one Naruto hadn't already been down. Figuring it was his last and only chance at ever finding his destination, he took it.

After driving down it for at least ten minutes, the blond contemplated on whether or not to turn around. He hadn't spotted a sign or another road branching off yet and it seemed to be never ending. If it were dark out, it would have looked like a scene from a horror movie. The trees on either side of the road arched towards each other, almost connecting. Moss seemed to cover everything, rather than grass. It was all rather… gloomy.

The blond sighed in relief when a large house came in to view, straight ahead. So the road wasn't a road after all; instead, it was a freakishly long drive way.

After parking his car near a large oak tree, he walked up the front entrance, taking in the large home for the first time. He thought his home was big, but this house was _huge_. It had to contain _at least_ twenty bedrooms. Why would two people need such a big house anyway?

The house was two stories high and almost completely covered in moss and vines of some sort. It was obviously very old, but still looked strangely elegant. Ringing the doorbell, he waited… and waited. Well, it would take him an hour or two to get from one side of that house to the other also, so he didn't complain. As the door opened, a tall man with slicked back grey hair came into view.

"I'm, uh, here for the interview."

The man gave him a weird look before realization seemed to hit him full on, causing him to laugh like a maniac. "Oh, you're looking for Itachi. I'm Hidan. He's in the den." Hidan continued to cackle as he pointed towards the den.

The blond stared in pure horror at the man's sudden fit of laughter. He hoped more than anything that this Itachi guy wasn't as insane as the man before him seemed to be."Alright, thanks." He began walking aimlessly towards the direction Hidan pointed to; passing room after room, hoping someone would eventually stop him at the right one. If not, he could easily get lost forever in the endless hallways. As if reading his mind, Itachi called out from the room he just passed.

Backtracking, Naruto entered the den and sat down on the couch, opposite Itachi. The man before him seemed entranced by the book he was currently reading. He didn't even look up when Naruto sat down. Seeing as it didn't look like Itachi was going to make an effort to greet him anytime soon, Naruto spoke up, "I'm here for the interview."

"I know very well what you're here for."

The blond just stared, wondering if he should just go ahead and leave now. He'd only met two people so far and he already couldn't stand it. One was completely insane and the other seemed to be a rude know-it-all.

"So, Naruto, is it? How old are you?" Itachi finally turned towards the blue eyed boy, setting his book down on the coffee table.

"Seventeen… Where's the kid?"

"We'll get to that later. I'm asking all the questions now." Itachi leaned over, resting his elbows on his legs in order to get closer to Naruto. His bangs fell to the side of his face, almost caressing his cheeks. "If you don't mind."

Naruto just nodded. The brunette gave off a very intimidating aura causing the air around him to become thicker by the second. Naruto held his breath as if all the oxygen would escape the room any minute.

"Very well. Do you have a criminal record?"

"No."

"Good. Parking tickets? Detentions in school?"

"No and yes." Why the hell was this guy asking him such nonsense? What did parking tickets have to do with babysitting, anyway?

"Hm, I see. Well, before we go any further, I'd like to clear a few things up. First, anything that goes on here doesn't leave this house. No matter what it is. If something were to happen, some sort of emergency, what would you do?"

The blond tried his hardest to stay composed as the conversation seemed to become more bizarre by the second. "Call 911."

"Wrong." Itachi stared into the blonds eyes as if challenging him. "Did I not just say, nothing leaves this house? If something goes wrong, you call me and no one else."

'_So I have the job?_' Naruto dared not express his thoughts aloud. The man before him barely showed any emotion in his face, but expressed all seriousness in his voice. "Okay. Nothing leaves the house, nothing at all." He added with emphasis.

"If you want to stay employed here, you'll need to learn to listen. Your father spoke well of you, I expect you to live up to his word. Anyway, like I said, nothing that goes on here is to be spoken of outside of this household. If a door is closed, then you're not meant to enter. I expect you not to snoop around. And finally, you don't leave this house until I get here, no matter the circumstances. Got it?"

What did he expect to happen? Naruto started to expect that maybe this guy was running some kind of cult down in the basement. Or some insane shit like that. No normal person asked these sorts of things to a babysitter; something had to be up. "Yeah, I understand."

"Very well. One more thing, though, before you leave. My otouto. He's about your age-"

"What? Why the hell am I here to babysit some teenage freak? I thought I was here to watch some little kid like a _normal_ babysitter!"

Itachi glared at the boy's sudden outburst causing Naruto to quickly regret opening his mouth. "I wasn't finished. This is the last time I'm going to warn you about listening, Naruto. He's about your age, but he requires someone to watch over him at all times. A year ago, he developed a mental illness that I'm sure you have heard of plenty times before; schizophrenia. Residual schizophrenia to be exact." He gave a deep sigh before continuing. "Back in Japan, we're a pretty well known family. Well, we were anyway. Until Sasuke started showing obvious symptoms. He hallucinated for the first time during family dinner, causing a lot of complications. We were lucky enough to not have any guest over that night. Our father knew that if people found out his son was mentally ill; our good name would easily be thrown out the window. Tarnished. Everything our families worked for would amount to nothing. So, he did what any other man in his position would do, he found an alternative. Hidan, our cook of three years; he studied medicine for awhile before coming to us, so we asked him to evaluate Sasuke to the best of his abilities… I care about my otouto very much, so I took it upon myself to get him the help he needed. With our fathers blessing, I took him away. The medicine he needs is wired to me, under a different name of course. The meds keep him stable, but he still needs someone to watch him. And when I say watch him, I mean just that. Don't try to interfere and tell people about him. Or us. Not even your father."

Naruto just sat there, waiting for him to continue. This story was just too… for lack of a better word; complicated. There was no way any of it was true. What parent would do away with his son when he needed him the most, just to protect his public image? Minato would certainly never do such a thing. The blond just couldn't fathom all the new information. "Okay." He couldn't seem to come up with any other words.

"Very well then. Show up tomorrow morning; 9:00 am." Itachi stood up, gesturing Naruto to do the same. "I'll walk you out."

As they walked towards the door, Naruto tried to comprehend everything Itachi had told him. He stepped just outside the door before turning around and facing him once again. "Shouldn't I meet him?"

Itachi raised an eyebrow. "You don't want to. Oh, Naruto?"

What did he mean he didn't want to? He asked, therefore, he must want to meet the guy. "Yeah?"

"Sasuke. There's more to him than what I told you. I was going to let you find out for yourself, but I guess that would do neither of you any good."

The blond looked into the others eyes, trying to read him. Hoping to get a hint of what exactly was going on in his mind. He wasn't sure if he could handle any more information; he certainly didn't want to. He failed to notice Itachi slowly backing away as he spoke. "What do you mean?"

The raven smirked causing Naruto's stomach to suddenly drop. The man had barely shown any emotion up until now. "He's convinced he's dead." The raven paused for added emphasis. "Don't talk to him about it. Better yet, don't talk to him at all. Not unless he tries to communicate with you. My otouto is very special to me, if anything were to happen to him, well… Let's just say, you'd deeply regret it."

Naruto opened his mouth to speak but Itachi quickly closed the door in his face. This couldn't be happening. There was no way this was real. It all seemed like some strange Stephen King novel. 9

He stood there, waiting. Any second now Itachi would open the door, laughing like crazy, along with the weird cook from earlier. This was all some elaborate prank; it had to be. His dad was probably in on it too. Maybe even his mom. Hell, his friends probably helped set it all up too.

But Itachi never opened the door.  
>Hidan never came back in a fit of laughter.<br>And his friends and parents didn't come out of hiding with some sort of video camera in hand.

What had he gotten himself into?

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**Authors Note: Yes, this is a real mental illness.** I know I shouldn't be starting a new story, but I just couldn't help myself. Besides, I'm thinking about putting _My Guardian Angel_ on hold for a while; no longer than a month. I'm just having so much trouble with it lately. But don't worry, I'm still working excessively on _Don't you remember how you got those scars? _Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the first chapter to my new story! You'll learn more about Sasuke's condition in chapter 2.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.  
><strong>Warnings for this chapter<strong>: Mild language.  
><strong>Authors Note:<strong> Sorry it took so long to update. I just didn't have it in me, and I'd rather not force myself into writing something and it turn out extra crappy, you know? Anyways, I put 'Uzumaki household' instead of Namikaze, since its Naruto's last name. I wasn't sure how to word it, really.

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><p>It was 10:52 PM and the Uzumaki household was beginning to nestle down for a good night's rest. That is, everyone except for Naruto.<p>

He'd been home for awhile now but couldn't, for the life of him, stop thinking about the days earlier events. He couldn't decide what to do about his predicament. A part of him wanted to tell his dad everything Itachi had said so he wouldn't be obligated to go tomorrow. But at the same time he didn't want Itachi to lose his job and possibly his brother. His dad would certainly tell higher authorities, causing Sasuke to be taken away. He didn't know enough information to be able to judge Itachi's choices yet and take those actions.

Another part of him felt bad for Sasuke. Itachi obviously cared about him. The guy did leave the rest of his family in order to get Sasuke some sort of help. That counted for something. Unless, that is, he left for other reasons. Albeit, the younger Uchiha still needed better care than what he was getting.

The blond wasn't a doctor, but anyone who was so off their rocker that they believed they were dead, needed to be under medical supervision at all times.

Then again, he didn't know much about Itachi or his family. Maybe what he was doing _was_ best. He was probably just over reacting like always, anyway. He tended to do that a lot.

So he'd just have to learn more about their situation.

Naruto stood up from the couch and grabbed his mother's laptop before walking into the kitchen. If he was going to go through with this, he might as well look up on it. Who knows, a little research could possibly help out in the future.

He set the laptop down on the counter and turned it on, then walked over to the fridge. There was no way he could focus on an empty stomach. After rummaging through all his choices he picked up a Go-gurt and walked back to the counter, pulled out a stool, and sat down. He quickly ripped open the top of the tube with his teeth and went to work. Pulling up the first search engine that popped in his head, he typed in **schizophrenia** as the first keyword and hit search.

He was amazed at all the links that popped up. He expected a few medical links, but this was something else. Not only were there links to pages on mental illnesses; but there were also some for movies, blogs, and even porn. How were schizophrenia and adult videos even remotely close?

Not sure where to start, he clicked on the first somewhat professional looking link.

The blond skimmed though the page, realizing there was more than one type of the illness. He was pretty sure Itachi had informed him which type Sasuke had, but couldn't remember. Making a mental note to start paying better attention he sighed, returning to the search engine.

Rummaging his brain, he tried a different tactic and typed **general schizophrenia symptoms **into the search bar. If finding out the specifics weren't possible, getting a general idea would have to suffice. His eyes widened at the long list before him.

_Lack of emotion (flat affect)_

_Strongly held beliefs that are not based in reality (delusions)_

_Hearing or seeing things that are not there (hallucinations)_

Skimming through the first few, he already knew people suffering from the disease hallucinated and such; but was surprised by how many other things they went through. He guessed the delusions are what caused Sasuke to believe he was no longer alive.

He wanted to continue his search and learn more about the boy for future reference among other things, but his body wasn't complying. His eyes were growing heavier by the second as he fought to stay awake. Surrendering, he yawned and stood up, not bothering to close the laptop or put away his chair and trash.

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><p>Minato hit the spacebar of the laptop, bringing it to life, while Kushina busied herself making breakfast. "Hun?"<p>

Not bothering to turn away from her task, she answered with an almost inaudible "Hmm?"

"Why were you looking up info on mental diseases?" He gestured towards her laptop as she turned around, raising an eyebrow in question. Wiping the pancake batter from her face, she walked over and took a look at the screen. "Huh… I don't remember." Quickly returning to the stove she added "Whatever the reason, it's always nice to learn and be aware, right?"

He smiled and walked over to her, wiping some flour from her nose with his thumb. His wife kept herself busy with all sorts of random things, at all times. She liked to know things that most people wouldn't think twice about. Saying it was better to know more than you needed rather than less. The downside to that being; her mind would go on overload and eventually cause her to forget unimportant things. "I can't argue with that. But it won't do you any good if you can't remember any of it." The red head smiled up at him. "I guess you're right. Shouldn't Naruto be up by now?"

"He was rustling around in his room when I came downstairs. He should be down soon. Remind him to leave by 7:30, so he'll be there on time." The blond put his hands on either side of her waist, turning her around to face him again. She looked into his eyes and smiled, giving him a quick peck on the lips. "Have a good day at work."

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><p>Naruto ran downstairs, grabbed a carton of orange juice out of the fridge, and ran towards the living room; all the while ignoring his mothers protests to sit and eat breakfast in the kitchen. "Good morning mom!" He plopped down on the couch, crossing his legs Indian style, before grabbing the remote control, which lay on a small wooden table beside him, and turned on the TV. While he flipped through the channels, in search for his favorite cartoon, he eagerly chugged down the orange juice.<p>

Kushina walked in, arms crossed, a tad bitter from Naruto ignoring her pleads. As soon as she got a good look at her son, all her anger turned to amusement. He sat there on the couch still in pajama bottoms, tousled hair, and a red mark on the side of his face. His mouth was slightly open as he stared at the cartoon. His eyes beamed in delight like that of a small child. In short, he was a mess.

Just as a small smile began to creep upon her face, he burped. Not a discreet belch; a huge manly burp. If you could even call a burp manly. '_Oh Naruto._' She shook her head and walked up behind him, running her fingers through his hair. "How about you let me fix your hair? Since it's your first day on the job."

"It's no use." He answered, not looking away from his program. He was aware that his hair was always a mess, but it's not like he cared all too much. He never even bothered to brush it. Who was there to impress, anyway? Besides, his mom would just end up making him look like an even bigger dork.

A commercial took over the screen, prompting the blond to turn to his mother. He grinned and patted the seat next to him. "Watch Tom and Jerry with me?" He asked as his mother sat down. "Aren't you a little old to be watching this?" Naruto gave her a look of disbelief. "Too old? We both know you're a closet cartoon freak. Besides, one day Tom's gonna catch him, and I want to be one of the first to witness it."

"He won't." Noticing her son's look, she continued. "Life's a game of cat and mouse. Without the chase, there wouldn't be much of a story."

"Leave it to you to turn it into a life lesson."

The red head snorted and hit Naruto in the back of the head. "Fine. To put it in your terms: If the mouse dies, there wouldn't be a show. Now go get ready; you need to leave in twenty minutes."

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><p>Naruto pulled into the yard of the Uchiha residence, parking beside the same old oak tree he'd parked near last time. He scanned the yard, noticing the only car he saw yesterday was now gone, meaning Itachi had indeed already left for work. Or maybe breakfast; unlike Minato, he didn't need to show up to work for another thirty minutes. He was probably just trying to make a good impression on his first day.<p>

Remembering the cook whose name escaped him; he really needed to start paying more attention- he silently wondered why he didn't have a car. Yeah, he was the live-in cook, but did Itachi never allow him to leave? Or did he drop him off when he wanted to go somewhere?

The blond sighed and hunched forward, leaning his head on the steering wheel. He was glad Itachi had already left. He'd taken his time getting ready and leaving, in hopes that the guy would be long gone; giving his mother a slight aneurism in the process. She hated when he'd show up tardy for school, and this was even worse. It gave off a bad impression.

Naruto didn't dislike Itachi, but being around him was intimidating. Though he did hope the cook was around and available. The silver haired man was weird but he was still unsure of what his job really was.

Itachi had told him not to talk to Sasuke or interact with him in any way. So what was he to do? Stare at the wall all day?

He was overreacting and he knew it. It was his first job; he had the right to over-analyze everything. Especially considering the circumstances. The medieval gothic style scenery didn't help either.

The main doors to the house seemed so much bigger than they were the first time he came here. His hand reached out for the doorbell then slowly retracted. Should he ring to be let in or just let himself in? He wasn't necessarily what you would call a guest anymore. Would the cook ring the doorbell to be let in? Probably not. Besides, the guy would most likely just laugh at him for doing it.

Deciding to just let himself inside, he slowly pushed the doors open and peeked inside. To his surprise, all the lights seemed to be out, unlike the day before. It seemed as though no one was living there at all. The place looked even spookier, if that were possible.

As he walked down the hall, he silently cursed himself for not ringing the doorbell. Finally, he saw a light flickering from under one of the doors ahead. _'Please let there be some sort of living creature behind that door! Okay... Maybe not just any living creature…" _

Opening the door he realized the light was coming from a fireplace. He scanned the room looking for someone to consult with when he heard the flip of a page. The only place the sound could have come from was the big chair facing the fire. "So what's the deal? What am I suppose to be doing here?" He asked, tapping his foot.

No answer came.

"Hey! Cook!" Still no answer. He huffed, figuring he'd imagined the sound and bent over to look under the chair. No feet. He obviously conjured up the sound in his head. Just as he started to head out, he heard it again. Raising a brow he walked back into the room and over to the chair. "It's rude to igno-"

What he saw next stopped him in his tracks. He already figured he would be shocked beyond belief before he even entered the house, but not in this way. Images of monster, vampires, and creepy clowns had occupied his mind as he turned every corner. That is, until now.

He didn't expect this at all.

The most gorgeous boy he'd ever seen was sitting in the chair before him, legs scrunched up near his body, reading a book. His skin was pale, like Itachi's, but much smoother; like porcelain. They also had the same silky black hair, except this boy's was a lot shorter, with a slightly blue tint.

Naruto stared at him, watching the shadows the flames were creating bounce and caress his face. The way his lips formed a perfect line, he looked neither happy nor sad. He didn't look like he harbored any emotions whatsoever. But yet, he looked so _perfect_. He didn't look sick at all. He was reading for god sakes! What crazy person would just sit and read so peacefully?

Then again, the guy still hadn't shown any interest in his presence. Or any hint that he knew the blond was even there at all; like he was in his own little world.

The blond was a little shocked by his thoughts and the way he was reacting to this boy.

He began slowly walking towards him, when a hand grabbed his shoulder. "Come on." He wanted to protest, but the hand on his shoulder quickly pulled him out of the room. Looking up, he realized it was the cook. "Oh, it's you."

"You don't have to sound so disappointed."

"More like relieved." The blond sighed and looked at the door, as if he could still see the boy through it. "Was that Sasuke?"

Hidan followed suit and looked at the door, the smallest hint of sadness tinged his eyes; though it was barely noticeable. "It use to be."

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><p><strong>Authors Note:<strong> Oh man, I really didn't plan on stopping here, but as soon as I finished that last line… I just felt like I should save the rest for the next chapter. I'm sorry it's so short. D: Forgive me? c:

To the people who reviewed the first chapter: I can't for the life of me, remember if I messaged you guys back. So just in case, thank you for all the feedback. (:  
>Hope you all had an amazing weekend!<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.  
><strong>Warnings:<strong> Same as last chapter: Mild language and such.

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><p>Naruto followed Hidan through the house. Neither of them spoke since Hidan had taken him from the room Sasuke occupied.<p>

The blond wanted answers, but the look in Hidan's eyes caused him to become a little hesitant. He didn't want to pry _too_ much, but he felt that he deserved to know at least a little bit of information. Seeing as he was now in charge of Sasuke during the weekdays. At least, he thought that was part of his job criteria. He still wasn't sure about all that either. But it was his best guess, for now.

Naruto looked at each painting they passed, trying to remember which rooms were near each of them, in hopes that he wouldn't get lost later on. After the eleventh painting, he gave up completely. The place was just too big.

Where were they going anyway?

He hoped more than anything it would be the kitchen. He was starting to regret not sitting and eating like his mother had suggested. It was rare of him to ever skip a meal, but he was too nervous to eat, hence why he decided to watch cartoons in order to calm his nerves.

Hidan made a quick turn, leading them into a room that looked almost exactly the same as the one Itachi was in the day before. For all he knew, it _could _be the exact same room.

One wall was covered in books stacked upon a simple shelving system. A chair, coffee table, and small couch sat in the middle of the room, in front of a small fireplace which was already lit. He silently wondered if all the fireplaces in the house were lit every day. It seemed like such a waste, if so.

He immediately sat down on the right side of the couch, waiting patiently for Hidan to do the same. He looked up, his eyes following the cooks every movement. Hidan walked towards the window and looked at Naruto over his shoulder, giving him a look as if wondering why he was there. Was he not supposed to follow him? Hell if he knew. He didn't particularly care either. Why couldn't anyone be straightforward in this place?

Naruto watched as he continued to stare out the window. He would have to befriend this man. He didn't have a choice, really. Itachi was obviously not an option. The guy probably got a kick out of the looks on his face when he told him about his new job. At least Hidan seemed a little sympathetic.

The cook sighed and ran a hand through his gelled hair before turning and sitting in the chair opposite Naruto; but still didn't acknowledge him.

"Ahem." The blond was beginning to get a little irritated. He didn't want to spend the entire day enduring awkward silences.

Hidan stared at him for a second, almost as if reading him like a book before a soft chuckle escaped his lips. "Let's skip the bullshit. What do you want to know?"

Naruto was a little taken aback by how direct the man before him was being. He really didn't expect him to be so frank in the matter. There was a lot he wanted to ask, but he wasn't sure where to begin. "Uh… Okay… Um… Oh yeah! What's wrong with this kid? I looked it up on the internet but I don't get it! Why did Itachi say I can't talk to him? Shouldn't we be telling him he's mental and needs to snap out of it? Like therapy or something? Speaking of Itachi; why'd that jerk lie to me? Oh man, if my dad knew about all this… And his family! Why isn't he with his family instead of here? It doe-" He stopped abruptly when a large hand clasped over his mouth.

"For the love of God, shut the fuck up." Hidan retreated his hand and sat back. "One question at a time. Got it?"

Naruto shook his head in agreement. When Hidan failed to say anything else, he continued. "So… Why did Itachi lie to my dad? Why didn't he just say that Sasuke is sick?"

The cook smirked at Naruto's ignorance. "He likes to fuck with people. And besides, he didn't lie. He just failed to mention a few things. Itachi doesn't lie."

"Yeah yeah, of course. So what's the deal with his family? None of them care about their son and brother or-"

"Don't even attempt to make it sound like Itachi doesn't care about Sasuke. If he didn't care he wouldn't be here."

"But if he did care, he'd be getting Sasuke some sort of help!"

Hidan stood up instantly, traces of anger illuminating his face. "I said if he didn't care he wouldn't be here! He cares more than anyone else would. You don't know anything, kid. I suggest you keep your mouth shut." He walked over to one of the bookcases and began thumbing through the books, ignoring Naruto's glares.

So much for becoming the guys friend.

"Fine." Naruto finally spoke up, wondering what Hidan was up to. "We'll talk about that later." Noticing the man's dirty look, he added "Way later… Anyway, what am I suppose to be doing here?" He decided not to ask any more deeply personal questions for now. He could always ask those later; when he was better acquainted. "What am I suppose to do around here? I mean, what's my job?"

"Itachi already informed you."

"Eh? No he didn't. He just said to watch Sasuke."

"So watch Sasuke."

Naruto groaned. He was getting nowhere. "I can't talk to him. And you just pulled me out of the room he was in like it was on fire! How am I suppose to watch him when I can't be anywhere near him?"

Hidan shook his head and grabbed the book he'd been looking for before sitting back down. "Smartass. Just keep an eye on him every once in awhile, from afar. And since I'm so damn courteous to answer your stupid questions; you work for me, too. Today you can look around the house and get use to the layout. But tomorrow, prepare yourself to earn the money Itachi's paying you." He brushed some dust from the book and stuck it in Naruto's direction. "Here."

Naruto took the book and stared at it, quizzically. What was this for? He rubbed the front of it, in order to remove some more of the dust caked on it. _'Family album?' _He opened to the first page and scanned over the pictures. They were all of Itachi and Sasuke. They were a lot younger, but they looked so… happy.

The blond looked up, wanting to ask another question, but noticed Hidan was long gone. Great.

He turned his attention back to the book and flipped through the pages. The two brothers didn't always look the happiest in every picture, but he could tell they did, indeed, care for one another. How did everything get so bad?

Closing the book, he sat it on the coffee table and stood up. He walked to the same bookcase Hidan was skimming through and began pulling out random books, in hopes that he'd find more albums. He wanted to know more about this family. After fifteen or so minutes of looking, he began to lose interest. It was no use anyway; the rest of the books were just pointless medical gibberish.

Deciding to check the rest of the house out, he put everything away and walked out of the room.

He walked down the hallway and picked a random room to go inside. As he reached for the knob he remembered what Itachi told him the day before. _'__If a door is closed, then you're not meant to enter.' _

He stood there for awhile, his hand still on the knob and his forehead leaned against the door. Hidan had told him to basically scout the place so he'd know where everything was. How was he supposed to do that if he couldn't go inside closed doors? Itachi was probably just messing with him. But he didn't want to take that chance. Not so soon, at least.

Stupid mind games.

He decided it was best to just look for all the necessary places for now. Itachi couldn't get mad with him for looking for the bathroom. And if he did, well, he would deal with that later.

The blond continued walking throughout the house, looking for an open door. Just thinking about not being able to find the restroom made him feel as if he needed to use it. He passed by door after door, but still no luck. For all he knew, he was going in circles. He was on the verge of giving up and just sitting down in the middle of the hallway until the day was over. Itachi would come home, find him there, and have to help him find his way out.

He turned a corner and smiled in accomplishment. It wasn't a bathroom, but the sight of an oven, stove top, and fridge eased his mind. At least he'd found one somewhat important room. And on top of that, his stomach had begun to growl minutes ago.

He rummaged through the fridge and cabinets, looking for something good to eat. Finally settling on dry cereal, he grabbed a box and began his search once again.

The sugar seemed to be doing a number on his brain. He didn't care what Itachi or Hidan said, he wanted to find and talk to Sasuke. If Hidan caught him, he would just say that he was checking up on Sasuke, like he was suppose to.

He found the main entrance to the house and began retracing his steps the way he went when he first arrived earlier. Upon finding the room that he first saw Sasuke in, he began to lose his confidence.

Being the not-so-bright teenager he was, Naruto got on his hands and knees in front of the door and pressed his ear near the crack at the bottom. He couldn't really hear much of anything besides a crack or pop coming from the fireplace. Maybe Sasuke had left the room while Naruto was walking aimlessly around the house. He leaned in a little closer. His cheek was now pressed firmly against the cold door. He could hear the sound of his own heartbeat echo against the old wood.

The blond rested his head against the hard floor, slamming his fist down in frustration. Suddenly, he heard a faint rustling sound coming from the room. He pressed his ear back against the door but couldn't make heads or tails of what was happening on the other side of it.

Leaning down even closer to the floor, he tried to peek through the crack in order to get a look at what was going on. The space was too small so all he could see were shadows. Figuring they were from the fire also, he sat back up Indian style and crossed his arms.

Just as he was about to stand up the door came swinging open, hitting him forcefully in the face and knocking him over. Rolling over onto his side, he grasp his now bloody nose and curled into a ball. Tears made their way down his face from the pressure, distorting his eyesight. With his free hand he wiped his eyes and looked up.

Sasuke shut the door like nothing happened and looked away from Naruto, towards the end of the hall. The blond continued to look up at him, waiting for the brunet to notice him lying on the floor.

Instead, he turned and began walking away. He never looked back or even hinted that he knew Naruto was there at all.

In the small amount of time that Naruto could see his face, he noticed it held no expression; just like before. Could Sasuke see him? Did he think he was a ghost? Or did he just not care?

If he was anything like his brother, he probably just didn't care.

'_Not nice, Naruto. The guy is sick.' _

He stood up and wiped off his clothes. A small drop of blood fell onto the floor reminding him to cover his nose. Might as well go back to the kitchen and clean himself up. He certainly couldn't follow after Sasuke while covered in blood. Who knew what kind of chaos that might evoke?

The blond made it to the kitchen in no time. He inwardly praised himself for remembering which turns to take in order to get there.

Turning on the sink, he grabbed a paper tower and wiped his face before wetting another in order to wipe off any dried spots. As he finished up and threw the towels in the trash, Hidan walked in.

"What the hell happened to you?" He asked, pressing a finger against Naruto's swollen appendage.

Naruto winced and slapped the man's hand away. "Don't touch it!" He snapped.

"Don't be such a baby." He then flicked the end of his nose, earning a punch in the gut from the young blond.

"I said don't touch it!" He smiled at the look on Hidan's face, ignoring the pain. The guy obviously didn't expect him to be so aggressive. _'Serves him right.' _

The silver haired man laughed it off and grabbed a few items from the fridge before turning on the stove. As he delved through one of the cabinets in search for a large skillet, Naruto spoke up. "Who are you cooking for?"

It didn't matter that he just ate. He could still pack down a few more bowls of food.

"Not you."

What a jerk. "Sasuke? What about him?"

"Even if I did cook for him, he wouldn't eat it." He tossed a few vegetables into the pan and leaned against the counter, waiting for them to heat up.

"What do you mean he wouldn't eat it?" He felt kind of stupid after he asked. Sasuke was probably just a picky person or something along those lines.

"After you die… Do you think you'll be eating anything?"

"No? What kind of question is that?"

Hidan barely refrained from rolling his eyes as he turned his attention back to the stove. "Think about it."

Naruto sat down on the countertop and ignored Hidan's glares after he did so. "So what if he thinks he's dead? He's not. They guy has to eat sometime!"

"The longer you work here, the more you'll learn. Just go with the flow and stop asking dumb questions."

Naruto didn't put such questions in the category of 'dumb'. He couldn't understand how Hidan did either. Realizing there was no point in arguing; he hopped off the bar and leaned over the food, taking in a big whiff.

Hidan instantly pulled the food away and began making a plate. When he placed the plate in the microwave, Naruto raised an eyebrow in question. "Itachi should be here soon." He explained before the blond could speak.

"Eh?" Naruto glanced at the clock and continued. "Work doesn't end for another two hours."

"Whatever tasks your father gives Itachi; he'll finish it ten times faster than any other person would. He takes his work seriously." He closed the microwave and began making his own plate. "Trust me; he'll be here any second now."

"Well, I'm not complaining or anything. The sooner he gets here, the better." He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall.

Hidan laughed and began eating his meal.

Naruto's face fell after noticing there wasn't enough food leftover for him.

"I wasn't kidding when I said I wasn't cooking for you."

"Yeah, I got that."

"You have what, exactly?" Itachi walked into the room, eyeing them both.

Naruto jumped at the sound of his voice causing Hidan to chuckle.

"Nothing, Itachi. He was just leaving." Hidan answered through muffled laughs.

Itachi walked past the blond as if he weren't there and opened the microwave. "Goodbye Naruto."

Naruto opened his mouth to speak but quickly closed it. Deciding it was best to just go ahead and leave; he turned his heel and walked out of the house as quickly as possible. Once outside and to his car, he could still hear Hidan's laughter echoing through the house.

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><p><strong>Authors Note:<strong> Uh-oh. Still a lack of Sasuke & Naruto interactions in this chapter. Oh well. It has to be this way in order for future events to work out! [x Besides, I don't like rushing things, you know?  
>I finished this chapter sooner than I expected. Which means; I'll start working on the next chapter to '<em>How did you get those scars?<em>' even sooner. Whoop.  
>Tomorrow's Friday you guys! So in advanced: <strong>Have a great weekend! <strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Naruto.

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><p>Kushina stood in the middle of the living room, humming to herself as she splattered paint on yet another wacky piece of artwork she was creating. She waved her head from side to side causing strands of her hair to stick to the red and purple substances adorning her face. Her legs moved in rhythm to her low murmurs.<p>

She didn't bother putting down a tarp to protect the cream carpet from the colorful chemicals slowly making their way to the bottom of the canvas and dripping onto the floor. It was her way of reminding Minato that she wanted her own art studio added to the back of their home. No way was she going to settle for the basement. It was far too creepy down there. And besides, it was drafty in the basement. He surely didn't want her to catch a cold, did he?

She beamed at the thought of finally getting her way. He knew when her mind was set on something; she'd do whatever it took in order to get it. Albeit, she never did anything along the lines of being outrageous or cruel to get what she wanted. It just wasn't in her character to do so. She liked to keep things clean and fair. It wasn't like she wouldn't clean the carpet or hire someone to do it for her as soon as Minato agreed to give her what she wanted.

Besides, he knew how stubborn she was before he married her.

She grabbed a new brush and dipped it in yellow before mixing it on her wooden palette with a fiery red, attempting to get the perfect shade of orange. As she lifted the brush up to the top right corner of her painting, her thoughts wondered off to her son. She wondered how he was doing on his first day on the job. Was the child he had to babysit a brat? Would he get along well with the kid? What if the child was a trouble maker? She hoped he was doing well. Then again, she knew he would.

Even if the kid tried to act out, Naruto would put him in his place. He was just like his mother.

She smiled, remembering the week before he was born. She'd asked Minato what he would do if their child turned out just like her: rebellious, outgoing, and stubborn. Of course, he didn't care in the least; he loved all her traits, and he would love his son no matter what.

When Naruto was born and favored Minato's appearance more, they both figured he would end up just like his father. Granted, he was the spitting image of the older man, but as he grew older he acted more and more like Kushina.

Minato had his hands full. But he wouldn't trade his family for the world. And neither would she.

The sound of the front door closing snapped Kushina from her thoughts. She briskly turned around, ready to greet whoever it was. She was a little taken aback when she realized it was Naruto. Quickly glancing at her watch, she asked "What are you doing here so early?"

Naruto stood in the entranceway between the kitchen and the living room, allowing the darkness of the kitchen to hide his face. "Itachi's one badass assistant. He finished up at the office and came home early."

"I see." She turned and continued with her painting. Naruto took it as an opportunity to sneak away to his room and hastily began walking towards the stairs. "I know you're hiding something, Naruto. I could hear it in your voice."

The blond stopped in his tracks, eyes wide. He didn't want his mom to see his face. She would surely overreact about it. He had no doubt about that. "What? I'm just tired. That kid was a handful." He laughed.

'_Please don't turn around. Please don't turn around. Damn it!' _

She turned around.

"Naruto! What happened to you?" She quickly dropped her brush and ran over to him, cupping his face with her paint covered hands. "Did that boy hurt my baby? Oh, I'll kill him!"

"No, mom!" He immediately cut in, not wanting her to become even more riled up than she already was. His brain started to work overtime as he thought up a good excuse to tell her. He certainly couldn't tell her the truth. Who knew what would happen if he did such a thing? "We were playing hide and seek! I was looking under the door for any signs of movement and he opened it so fast that I didn't have a chance of moving out of the way. He didn't know. It was an accident."

Bless his quick thinking skills.

"Naruto you're so clumsy sometimes. What am I going to do with you?" She continued rubbing her hands around his face, examining the damage. As she did so, the paint caked on her fingers rubbed off onto his cheeks and forehead.

"My eye!" The blond yelped and covered his left eye. He began jumping up and down with his eyes squeezed shut as if it would ease the pain.

Kushina stood back and watched, the panic she once had starting to ease off. "I didn't mean to poke you. Don't be such a baby."

He was a little surprised by the sudden change in her demeanor. One second she was freaking out that he was hurt, but when she caused the pain it was no longer a big deal. "You didn't poke it! You got paint in my eye!"

He slammed against the wall as she ran up to him and grabbed his face once again, trying to pry his eye open. "Mom! What the heck are you doing? Ow!" He shoved her hands away and continued struggling with her, trying to keep her as far away from his injury as possible; which was hard to do since he could no longer see out of one of his eyes, and the other was now watering profusely.

The red head ignored his pleas and successfully pinned one of his arms against the wall, using her other hand to grab at his face. She only wanted to help, and his resistance only made her more persistent. She was his mother; she knew how to take care of him. All he needed to do was settle down and comply. So what if her tactics were a bit unconventional?

As Naruto jerked his head from side to side, trying to keep his mother from poking his eye out, her hand brushed the tip of his nose causing a shock of pain to course through his body. He immediately fell to his knees, mumbling curses through gritted teeth. His mother abruptly leaned over him. "Just be still sweetie, I'm only trying to help you." She grabbed onto him and tried to pry his hands from his face.

They rolled back and forth across the living room floor, pinning each other down then losing dominance and switching places before starting the process all over again. Naruto knew she meant well, but she was just as clumsy as he was. If he let her try to patch him up, he'd end up even more bruised up. Even though fighting with her was just causing the same outcome.

Throughout their quarrel they failed to hear someone entering the house and standing in the doorway, watching their silly predicament break out into utter chaos. Figuring it was time to make his presence known, and end this catastrophe, Minato spoke up. "Will there ever be a day that I come home without you two causing some sort of turmoil?" He raised an eyebrow and watched as both their heads shot up, wide eyed from being caught.

Kushina stood up and wiped off her clothes as she smiled at her husband sweetly. "Our son is injured and he won't let me help him. Maybe you'll have more luck."

Minato looked from her to Naruto, noticing the bruising on his nose almost completely covered by paint. Naruto laid on his back for awhile with his eyes closed, trying to catch his breath, before finally sitting up. As he did so, the top of his head hit the side of the table that held a bottle of Kushina's paint, causing it to tip over and pour onto the top of his head. He groaned as the paint covered his hair and ran down his face onto the floor, but didn't make any effort to move out of the way. There wasn't a point in moving anyway, he was already completely covered.

"I see." Minato kissed his wife on the forehead before walking over to Naruto and squatting down in front of him. "I'll take care of this." He told Kushina over his shoulder as he wiped some of the paint from Naruto's eye with his thumb. He knew that if he didn't intervene and at least act like he was going to help Naruto, the poor boy would end up having to go through even more chaos.

Not that his son needed babying. He was a teenager after all. But no matter how old he got, Kushina would always consider him as her baby boy.

As the red head nodded and walked out of the room, Minato grabbed Naruto's arm and helped him onto his feet. He then led his son to the closest bathroom and grabbed a wash cloth before wetting it and handing it to him. Naruto sat on the sink counter and began wiping off the paint, wincing the closer he got to his nose.

Minato stood back and silently assessed the damage as more of the bruising became visible. "Don't tell me your mom did this? You two weren't fighting over food again, were you?" He lifted his eyebrow and shook his head at the memory.

Naruto laughed and shook his head no as he splashed water on his face and cleaned off the rag. His hair and parts of his face were still covered in paint, but plain water and a rag wasn't going to do the job. He'd have to wait until he took a shower to get it all off. "It was an on-the-job accident. No big deal."

Minato chuckled and walked out the room, leaving Naruto to finish cleaning the rag. When he returned he was holding a frozen bag of peas. "I hope he isn't too much trouble?" He asked, handing his son the bag.

The younger blond took the frozen package and held it against his nose. "Actually, he's no trouble at all…" He drifted off, wishing he could explain that he hadn't really had to deal with Sasuke yet; and didn't know if he ever would. He looked up at his dad and threw the rag in the hamper. "You're home early. Itachi's good, huh?"

"Better than I expected. He finished his work then helped with the rest of my own. It's incredible, really." He crossed his arms and continued. "I told you it'd all work out. You don't have to work as long as you thought."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." True, he didn't have to work as many hours as he expected, but the job was still very bizarre. "So what's for dinner?"

Minato nodded his head in the direction of the peas Naruto was holding. "Bring them to the kitchen when they're thawed. We're having stew."

* * *

><p>Naruto ran downstairs after taking yet another shower in order to get all the paint from his hair. He'd taken a quick shower the night before, but failed to get all the clumps out. This time he managed to get most of it out, but still had a few blue strands sticking out in random places.<p>

Opening the fridge, he grabbed a box of orange juice like every other morning and poured a glass, while his mother took out a tray of muffins from the oven. The smell of banana nut filled the air.

Not able to resist the mouth watering aroma, he quickly grabbed one and shoved it into his mouth. "I think I'll eat this morning." He smiled and sat at the table across from his mother.

"Why don't you take one for…? Hmm, you never told me the boy's name?"

Naruto took another bite, remembering what Hidan told him the day before. _'He doesn't eat… Huh… He has to eat sometime, I don't care what that guy said.' _

"Sure, I guess I could take him one." He watched as his mom picked up two muffins and put them into a small plastic container. "And his name's Sasuke." Even if Hidan wouldn't let him give them to Sasuke, he could still eat them himself. Since Hidan refused to fix him anything to eat while he was there.

He finished up his breakfast and drank the rest of his juice before standing up. "Thanks mom." He took the container and threw on his jacket.

"You're leaving already?"

"Yeah. I was a little late yesterday. Gotta make a better impression today!" He smiled and ran out the door, not giving her a chance to say anything more. He didn't really care about what Itachi thought of him, not personally anyway. But the muffins had given him an idea. Maybe if he attempted to be nice to Itachi, the guy wouldn't act as creepy around him. If so, his job would be that much easier; hence why he wanted to make it there before Itachi left, so he could offer him a muffin for breakfast. It was a foolproof plan really.

As he pulled into the driveway he sighed and crawled out the driver's seat, noticing Itachi was already outside, walking to his own car. "Itachi!" He waved and ran over to the dark haired man.

"You're early." Itachi opened the door to his car and threw his briefcase in the passenger's seat.

"You're leaving early. Aren't I supposed to be here while you're gone?"

The raven looked at him quizzically before answering. "I suppose so." He retreated into the car and reached to close the door. Naruto quickly stood in the way and held out the plastic container. "My mom made muffins; I figured you might want one before work. You know… Brain food." He opened the lid and held them out.

Itachi cranked the car up and stared at the container as if the baked goods would somehow spring to life and bite him before he scoffed and finally took one.

Naruto grinned and waved goodbye as Itachi drove away. "Have a great day at work!" He added at the last minute before walking into the house.

He didn't bother knocking this time.

After making his way inside and down the main hall, he quickly scanned the area for Hidan. When it seemed as if he was nowhere close, he eagerly rushed towards the room he found Sasuke in yesterday, in hopes that he would be there again today. Once at the door he took a deep breath and pushed it open, a grin plastered on his swollen face.

Noticing Sasuke wasn't there, his smile faded. He groaned and turned around, figuring he might as well walk around the entire house. Maybe he'd get lucky and run into the guy. He wasn't allowed to open any doors, but the brunet had to make his presence known sooner or later.

As he turned the corner and began walking down a small corridor, he heard the faint sounds of whispering. Maybe even a little humming mixed in.

The blond rushed off towards the sound and found himself in front of yet another closed door. Remembering what happened the day before, he carefully leaned close to the wooden slab, staying far enough away from it so he'd have enough time to escape if he had to.

Someone was definitely inside the room, talking and moving things around. After a few minutes of careful observation, Naruto could tell it was Hidan. But no one was saying anything back. So either the guy was talking to himself, or someone was in there with him that refused to engage in conversation.

No matter how much he strained, Naruto couldn't make out anything the man was saying.

Deciding to take a risk, he slowly reached for the handle and opened the door, holding his breath as it squeaked. What he saw next caused his eyes to grow wider than they ever have before and all the blood to drain from his face.

Hidan was kneeling on the floor in front of an old stained mirror. The room was dark besides two lit candles on either side of the man making it impossible to see much of anything.

Unaware that Naruto had walked in, the silver haired man continued on with what he was doing. After mumbling a few incoherent words, he brought his thumb to his mouth and bit down on the tip, drawing blood. He then squeezed a small bit of the red fluid out and pressed his thumb against the floor, drawing a circle around where his body sat. Naruto could now see that Hidan was sitting on what looked like a triangle that was also drawn in his own blood.

The blond stepped back in an instant, silently cursing as he tripped over his own foot. He watched, wide eyed as Hidan's head snapped up to look at the intruder. The man's face was covered in a white substance, with a black dot on his forehead and around his eyes. As he stood up, the blond could see that the rest of his body was also covered in black and white lines.

'_What the hell…'_

The closer Hidan got to Naruto, the more flustered the boy became. He wasn't sure what to do. Should he apologize for walking in unannounced or run for the hills like a madman? Before he had time to react Hidan was standing centimeters away from him with a maniacal smirk plastered on his face.

"I-I uh…" The blond fumbled over what to say as he backed up until his back hit the wall.

Hidan began to laugh as he watched Naruto squirm under his stare. "You were told not to open any doors unless you were invited in, dumbass." He noticed the bruising on Naruto's face and grinned. Lifting his hand up to the blonds face, he slowly pressed his thumb to the space between his nose and eye. Naruto winced but didn't move. Who knew what this guy was capable of? No way was he going to say anything to piss him off even more.

Hidan pressed down harder as if Naruto's pain brought him some sort of twisted pleasure. When the blond no longer responded, he retreated his hand and walked back into the room. "Be careful of what you do from now on. I'll be out in a few minutes to give you your first task." He explained before shutting the door and leaving Naruto to stare off in shock.

* * *

><p>Naruto sat at the kitchen table, pushing his container of baked goods across the table from one hand to the other. As soon as Hidan shut the door and left him in the hallway, he quickly made his way to the kitchen. He wasn't sure what else to do really. What was one suppose to do when they witnessed something like that anyway? He didn't know. In all honesty, he wasn't sure <em>what<em> he saw to begin with.

So here he was, staring off into space while waiting for further instructions. As he waited he contemplated on whether or not to go ahead and eat the muffin his mother gave him as a snack or do as she told and try to give it to Sasuke. He felt he deserved some sort of comfort food after what he saw.

He opened the lid and set it aside when Hidan finally walked in. His hair was dripping onto his neck and his shirt clung to his muscular form. Naruto relaxed with the fact that he'd washed off all the weird makeup but tensed up once again when he sat down across from him.

"Go ahead."

Naruto raised an eyebrow in question.

"I know you have questions. So go ahead and ask what the fuck I was doing."

"Fine. What the fuck were you doing then?" The blond asked, mocking Hidan's tone.

The grey haired man laughed and snatched the necklace from around his neck, dangling the pendant above Naruto's face. "This is the symbol of Jashin; the God of my religion. I wear it everywhere I go." He took the necklace and sat it down on the table. "It's expected that all followers of Jashin bring nothing less than utter destruction and death." He smirked at the shocked look in Naruto's eyes and suppressed a snicker. "Now I couldn't very well go around killing people and starting fights all of a sudden. Itachi wouldn't allow it. The last time he bailed me out he swore he wouldn't do it again. And since we no longer live in Japan, neither of us have as many connections as we use to."

Naruto tried his best to keep an emotionless face as he listened to the man's ramblings. Was he confessing to murder? Or just trying to freak him out? If he was, it was working.

"When a Jashinist isn't allowed to kill, they are expected to pray for forgiveness… What you saw back there was a ritual. I was asking the bastard to forgive me."

The blond leaned back in his chair, studying the man's face for any trace of lies. "You injured yourself and drew a circle with your own blood…"

"Well did you want me to use yours?" Hidan snapped.

Okay, so maybe he shouldn't start questioning Hidan so soon. "No." He stood up, figuring it was best to act like nothing happened and change the subject. His plan to become this guy's friend just wasn't going to work anymore. At least not anytime soon. He would just have to avoid the guy as much as possible for now. Otherwise, he didn't know how much longer he could keep all of this from his dad. "Where's Sasuke? I have something to give him."

"You're early." He picked up his necklace and tied it around his neck.

"Im aware. Where's Sasuke?"

Hidan glared and continued his last statement. "You're early. He's busy."

"So what if I'm early! What the hell could he be doing?"

"He's always busy at this hour, dumbass. You can't talk to him so how do you expect to give him anything?"

Naruto picked up the container and began to walk off in search of Sasuke by himself when Hidan reached out and grabbed his arm, stopping him in his tracks. "Now's not the time to grow a pair. I could easily make up a week's worth of rituals by getting rid of you."

The blond glared and forcefully pulled his arm away. Hidan looked at the container, eyeing its contents. "I told you he can't eat that."

"He has to eat sometime."

"It's not that he can't; he won't." When Naruto looked at him in confusion he continued. "I told you he was busy… He's knocked out. We have to feed him somehow." He stood up and grabbed the muffin, shoving it into his mouth as Naruto verbally protested. "Come on." He started, as he pushed the blond forward and began walking towards the back of the house. "You're gonna find out everything sooner or later anyway."

Naruto followed Hidan into a small room that looked somewhat like a tiny doctor's office. It had everything from band-aids to an MRI machine. His eyes quickly focused on the bed that held a seemingly unconscious Sasuke. The raven haired boy was connected to a heart monitor among many other things. An IV with fluids was connected to his right arm while a food drip was connected to the other. Now he understood what Hidan meant by they had to feed him. But why? Why wouldn't Sasuke eat anything?

He slowly walked over to the bed, examining the boy closely for the first time. His face was clammy and his clothes were drenched in sweat. Naruto looked up at Hidan in question.

"It's the meds. They cause his temperature to rise, but it's for his own good."

"What if he's in pain? This has to be doing some sort of damaged on his brain…"

"Like that matters. He's already fucked up." Hidan snapped as he walked towards the door. "He'll be like this for another hour. You can stay until I get back. I have a few errands to run, but when I come back you're helping me out with some things. Don't touch anything and don't try to wake him up. Got it?"

Naruto shook his head and watched him leave. When he could no longer hear Hidan's footsteps, he opened the window in hopes that a small breeze would help cool down the room. He then made his way to the sink and wet a handful of paper towels in ice cold water and brought them back to the bed. He rubbed Sasuke's cheek with his finger so see if he'd get a reaction; when he got none he placed the damp towels on the boys forehead.

It pained him to see someone in this condition. Sasuke looked so helpless and alone, just lying there. No one should have to live like that.

Naruto sat down on the bed and looked down at the brunet's face, his eyes filled with sympathy. "You're not alone, Sasuke. Not anymore."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Dun dun dun! Longest chapter I've written so far! Are you proud of me or what? Cx I had to do some major research on Hidan's religion in order to get this chapter done, so I hope you guys like it. But of course I had to tweak it… Kind of a lot… Since no one can be immortal in the real world 0.o Eh. Anyway, I'm not sure if this chapter should be rated M or not. I mean, I don't feel like it should, but then again I'm not sure. And I don't want it to be taken down. Hm.


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